Economic times are so bad in Canada that the country’s inmates are asking to stay in jail past their required sentence in order to avoid homelessness, violence, and drugs.
Vancouver-based lawyer Melanie Begalka commented on the dire situation on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter).
“I’ve had three clients this week asking to extend their time in custody. The extreme housing crisis, fear of dangerous drugs on the street and general lack of resources, it’s all real. And a terrible indictment of society when the best people can do is jail,” she said.
Vancouver is known to have the most expensive housing in Canada. In July 2023, the average house in Greater Vancouver cost $1,270,664 — up 5.7% from the previous year.
Rent is also preposterous in Vancouver. Rental rates have gone up by over 15% since last year: the average one-bedroom is currently listed at $3,013, and two-bedroom at $3,918.
The rate of death from illicit drug toxicity in British Columbia has risen from 20.4 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 43.6 in 2021.
Since 2016, over 10,000 people have died in British Columbia from illicit drug overdose.
Poilievre blames Trudeau for economy
On Tuesday, federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre caught wind of the news and blamed Trudeau.
“So inmates now ask to stay in jail because they can’t afford a home outside. The Trudeau housing market is literally worse than prison for many,” he said.
Earlier this year, Climate Change Minister Stephen Guilbeault told Canadians that their tough economic times are part of the deal for a greener climate. He later deleted his tweet.
